Academic Writing Task 1 · table

Annual leisure hours spent by Canadians across different age groups

The table below shows the leisure hours by Canadians in a year based on their age groups.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Leisure hours by Canadians in a year based on their age groups

Activity	Teens	20s	30s	40s	50s	60s	70s+
Watching TV/videos	1,200	700	400	500	600	700	1,100
Socialising with 4 or less people	150	150	300	250	250	200	200
Socialising with 4 or more people	350	350	50	50	25	25	25
Individual exercise	150	100	200	200	50	75	150
Group exercise/sport	450	350	200	150	50	0	0
Cinema	100	75	50	25	25	50	75

Chart redrawn by BandLadder from the data in the original IELTS practice task. Many IELTS practice tasks come from the Cambridge IELTS series (Cambridge University Press & Assessment); all rights in the original tasks remain with their owners.

Band 8 sample answer

The table illustrates the annual leisure hours spent by Canadians on six different activities, categorised by age group. Overall, watching TV/videos is the dominant leisure activity for all Canadians, particularly among teenagers and those aged 70 and over. Conversely, participation in group exercise and socialising with larger groups tends to decrease as people get older.

Watching TV/videos accounts for the highest number of hours, peaking at 1,200 hours for teenagers and 1,100 hours for those aged 70+. The lowest engagement in this activity is found among 30-year-olds, who spend 400 hours annually. In contrast, socialising with four or more people is most popular among younger Canadians, with 350 hours for both teens and those in their 20s, before dropping sharply to just 25 hours for those aged 50 and above.

Regarding physical activity, group exercise/sport is most frequent among teens at 450 hours, but this figure falls to zero for individuals in their 60s and 70s+. Individual exercise shows a more varied pattern, peaking at 200 hours for those in their 30s and 40s. Finally, cinema attendance remains relatively low across all groups, ranging from a high of 100 hours for teens to a low of 25 hours for those in their 40s and 50s.

205 words. Every figure in the answer comes from the chart above.

How to write about tables

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself.
Select; do not list every cell.
Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.

dominant: having the most influence or being most common
conversely: introducing a statement that reverses the previous one
peaking: reaching the highest point or level of activity
sharply: showing a sudden and significant change in direction
varied: incorporating a number of different types or levels
categorised: placed into specific groups based on shared traits

Write your own report and get a band

Take a timed Academic writing test and get a band for task achievement, coherence, vocabulary and grammar, with the sentences to fix.

Practise IELTS Academic writing

On your phone? Get the BandLadder app.

Frequently asked questions

What should the overview say?

Watching TV/videos is the most popular activity across all age groups, while group exercise and large-group socialising decline significantly with age.

How long should an IELTS Task 1 answer be?

At least 150 words; 170 to 200 is the safe range. Spend about 20 minutes on it and leave 40 for Task 2, which carries twice the marks.

How do I describe tables?

Tables hide the trend: find the highest, lowest and biggest change yourself. Select; do not list every cell. Organise paragraphs by row or by column, whichever gives the clearer comparison.